Fruit ladder



y 1936- L. B. BENTON ET AL 2,049,151

FRUIT LADDER Filed July 18, 1935' Lemuel B. Bani-0n an Y Azor M. Ben/on Patented July 28, 1936 i ATEN'i' @FFEQE FRUIT LADDER Lemuel B. Benton and Azor M. Benton, Napoleon, Mich.

Application July 18, 1935, Serial No. 32,035

3 Claims.

This invention relates to ladders, and more particularly to a ladder having a pole extending from the top thereof for disposition against the branches of a fruit tree, for instance.

In resting the ordinary straight ladder against the branches of a fruit tree to enable a workman to climb up it to pick fruit, the difiiculty of securely positioning the ladder is often encountered. Usually neither the ground nor the branches are straight, making the task of firmly placing the ladder on the ground and at the same time placing it firmly against the branch of the tree practically impossible.

An object of the present invention is to provide a ladder having the usual sides with steps or rungs, but having projecting from the top a pole which may be disposed in the crotch between two branches of a tree while the base of the ladder is firmly disposed on the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pole-which may be readily removed from the ladder to facilitate transportation.

A further object of the invention is to provide for a ladder of the character described having an extension partially sup-ported by the pole.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the ladder according to this invention, having its pole resting in the crotch of a tree,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the top portion of the ladder,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the extension,

and

Fig. 4 is a cross section through the pole structure of the ladder.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character I indicates the side pieces of the ladder between which are secured in spaced relation steps 2. The steps 2 preferably are secured to the side pieces I by nails 3 and are reinforced by rods l extending directly beneath each step, suitably anchored to each side piece. Ihe top step 5 is relatively wider than the other steps and overhangs the rear side of the ladder. Gusset plates ii are provided to support the top step from the side pieces 5. An opening 7 is defined by the top step 5 for receiving and laterally supporting the pole 8.

To one of the steps 2 near the top step 5 a suitable bracket 9 for the pole 8 is secured at the rear edge thereof. As shown, the step 2 carrying the bracket ii is the second step from the top. However, as the height of the ladder is increased and/or a longer pole 8 is employed, it may be found desirable to locate the bracket 9 on the third or even fourth step from the top. In order to give further lateral support to the pole 8, the step 2 between the step carrying the bracket 5 and the top step 5 may be notched to provide a channel 212 in which the pole 8 is confined. To provide the pole with adequate strength, at the same time lightening the construction as much as possible, the same is tapered from the interme- 10 diate point received within the opening I! toward opposite ends. This provides the greatest thickness in the location of the top step 5 at the point of greatest stress, and results in the reduction of the size of the pole toward its upper end 15 to facilitate the positioning of the pole within a crotch oi the tree formed between a pair of branches or between a branch and the trunk of the tree. At the lower end of the pole a hole is provided to permit a removable pin ill carried by 20 the bracket 9, to be positioned in the hole to fixedly position the pole with reference to the ladder, and at the same time permit the pole and ladder to be readily disassembled. As shown in Fig. the under side of the pole 8 is rounded 2 to permit the pole to more firmly rest in a crotch of the tree and to avoid crushing or slipping the bark. In practice, the pole 8 is snugly fitted in the opening I in the top step, and as it has a similar fit with the bracket 9 and channel 22, the 30 result is that the pole and ladder constitute a rigid assembly.

In using the ladder according to this invention, the pole 8 is rested in the crotch between two of the branches of the tree, against which the 35 ladder is supported, and the two side pieces are moved until they both rest evenly on the ground. The three-point contact thus obtained results in the ladder being firmly positioned so that a user thereof may quickly climb from one step to an- 40 other without danger of the ladder falling. The top step being relatively wide not only provides a support for the pole, but also is of sufficient area to permit a user of the ladder to stand thereon with complete safety. A further ad- 45 vantage of the present construction resides in the fact that due to its firm positioning, a user may step from any step of the ladder to a tree branch and back again without danger of the ladder slipping.

The ladder above described is complete in itself, but may be adapted for wider use by using an extension illustrated in Fig. 3 and shown dotted in position in Fig. 1. The extension has two side pieces i5 and steps IS in spaced relation,

secured to the side pieces I5 in the same manner as the steps of the ladder itself. The extension has a top step I! similar to the top step 5, in that it is relatively wider than the remaining steps and has an overhang which is supported from the side pieces I5 by gusset plates Hi. The top step 5 of the ladder is provided with two bores IQ for receiving pins 28 secured to the bottom of the extension side pieces I 5. Thus, it will be seen that the extension rests on the top step 5 and is maintained against lateral movement by the pins 26 in the bores E9. The top of the extension rests against the pole 8 and is held against lateral sway by a recess 2! defined in the top step H, in which the pole 8 is received. The recess 2| is open at one side so that the extension may quickly be positioned on or removed from the ladder. A resilient wire latch 23 is shown as secured to the under side of the top step I? of the extension and is adapted to removably embrace the pole 8 and prevent disengagement between the extension and the pole 8 upon being hooked over the pin 24.

The essence of the present invention is considered to reside in the extreme simplicity of construction of the ladder. It is readily apparent from mere inspection of the accompanying drawing that the ladder comprises a minimum number of parts in its fabrication and is easily assembled. From the commercial point of view this is necessary, in view of the fact that fruit ladders are used in large quantities by each grower and are manufactured and sold at a rather nominal price per running foot. At the same time a ladder construction as heretofore disclosed is extremely sturdy and steady in use, and as a result greatly expedites and improves the thoroughness of the picking operation. Obviously our ladder may be used in connection with any other operation performed on the tree, for instance, pruning or thinning.

Having thus described our invention, what We desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

l; A ladder comprising side pieces, steps mounted therebetween in spaced relation, a pole secured to certain of said steps substantially at the mid-point thereof and extending above said side pieces, an extension for said ladder having substantially the same configuration thereas, 00- operating means on the top of said ladder and on the bottom of said extension for connecting the two together, and means defined at the top of said extension for engaging with said pole.

2. A ladder comprising side pieces, steps mounted therebetween in spaced relation, a pole secured to certain of said steps substantially at the mid-point thereof and extending above said side pieces, an extension for said ladder having substantially the same configuration thereas, cooperating means on the top of said ladder and on the bottom of said extension for connecting the two together, said means comprising bores in said ladder and pins on said extension, and a recess defined by the top step of said extension for receiving said pole.

3. A straight ladder for picking fruit consisting of a pair of side frames spaced by steps, the lower ends of said frames constituting the sole support for the ladder upon the ground, the top step of said steps being wider than the remaining steps, an opening in said top step midway between said side frames and set back from the front edge of said top step a distance substantially equal to the width of said remaining steps, a rigid straight pole having a single position of adjustment and being fitted through said opening and extending in opposite directions in parallelism with said side frames, a socket member carried by a step below the top step into which the lower end of said pole is fitted, said pole at its upper end extending a substantial distance above said top step and being shaped to fit into the crotch between said limbs without injury to the bark and to provide a single point of support for the upper end of the ladder exactly midway between the lower ends of said side frames supported on the ground regardless of the irregularity of the crotch and ground.

AZ'OR M. BENTON. LEMUEL B. BENTON. 

